Utah/Arizona guys; how often do you come across a rattlesnake?

[TheGerman]

I'm out in the southern Utah desert on the Arizona border basically everyday. I have a few spots I distance shoot at and then different areas to night hunt and do pistol/carbine.

For the first time in 4 years, I ran across a rattler yesterday and now it has me wondering if I've just been lucky, or if they are rare to run into.

I was carrying a steel plate to put on a post I leave in the ground at one of my 'ranges'. In order to get there you have to walk across this flat field with sage brush covering about 60% of it. All sand and rock with a few washes that have gravel at the bottom of them; typical southern Utah/Arizona terrain. About 200 yards into it, I hear what I initially thought was some sort of crazy buzzing like some huge beetle or something going crazy, but it turned into more of a rattle and hiss and I caught a little movement in the corner of my eye. Maybe 20 feet away, a young rattler was sitting infront of a hole dug into the base of a sage bush, staring at me and rattling. I stopped, looked at him to make sure he wasn't thinking of moving towards me as well as looked around me to make sure he was the only one.

He rattled at me for like 10-15 seconds and then did a U turn right back into his hole. I went on my way making sure to take a different route back to where my gun was set up.

How common are they? I've never seen one in the desert, and I'm always amazed at how little I actually see in the desert of any critter (except jackrabbits and lizards) for the amount of time I am out there and the amount of terrain I've covered. Have I just been lucky? It's in the back of my head now that there's fucking snakes everywhere.

 

[_Windrider_]

Shit. I come across timber rattlers on the daily in NC. When I lived in Cali they were very common where I would shoot.

 

[Maggot]

I'm out in the southern Utah desert on the Arizona border basically everyday. I have a few spots I distance shoot at and then different areas to night hunt and do pistol/carbine.

For the first time in 4 years, I ran across a rattler yesterday and now it has me wondering if I've just been lucky, or if they are rare to run into.

I was carrying a steel plate to put on a post I leave in the ground at one of my 'ranges'. In order to get there you have to walk across this flat field with sage brush covering about 60% of it. All sand and rock with a few washes that have gravel at the bottom of them; typical southern Utah/Arizona terrain. About 200 yards into it, I hear what I initially thought was some sort of crazy buzzing like some huge beetle or something going crazy, but it turned into more of a rattle and hiss and I caught a little movement in the corner of my eye. Maybe 20 feet away, a young rattler was sitting infront of a hole dug into the base of a sage bush, staring at me and rattling. I stopped, looked at him to make sure he wasn't thinking of moving towards me as well as looked around me to make sure he was the only one.

He rattled at me for like 10-15 seconds and then did a U turn right back into his hole. I went on my way making sure to take a different route back to where my gun was set up.

How common are they? I've never seen one in the desert, and I'm always amazed at how little I actually see in the desert of any critter (except jackrabbits and lizards) for the amount of time I am out there and the amount of terrain I've covered. Have I just been lucky? It's in the back of my head now that there's fucking snakes everywhere.

Relax, German. They are more afraid of you than you of them. Just watch your step. I yu really want rattlers go to Texas. Biggest one Ive seen was down there on the bank of Amistad Reservoir. I was driving along about dusk one evening and there was a large piece of fire hose in the road so I got out to kick it out of the way. BIG mistake. The firehose started slithering and I swear he was at least 6.5 - 7 feet. His head was in the brush on one side of the road and his tail in the brush on the other side. It still gives me the queasies today.

 

[Deleted member 113831]

In the desert, the rattlers find a hole during the day to stay out of the heat. They venture out in the evening to hunt. I lived and worked in the Arizona desert for 9 years, you couldn't put all the rattlesnakes I've come across in the back of a pickup truck. I've counted over 100 in a single night.

 

[TheGerman]

So they're there, but during the day they're in their hole (which this guy was) and unless I'm retarded and basically step ontop of one I should be fine?

I always look where I walk and this guy was off to the side a good bit.

 

[_Windrider_]

So they're there, but during the day they're in their hole (which this guy was) and unless I'm retarded and basically step ontop of one I should be fine?

I always look where I walk and this guy was off to the side a good bit.

Yeah just look down when u r walking, maggot is right they won’t strike unless they feel threatened. Rule of thumb is striking distance is 2/3 of length. FWIW, antivenin regiments can cost in excess of 100k.

 

[Deleted member 113831]

Yeah just look down when u r walking, maggot is right they won’t strike unless they feel threatened. Rule of thumb is striking distance is 2/3 of length. FWIW, antivenin regiments can cost in excess of 100k.

Sidewinders and Western Diamondbacks will generally run from you. Mojave's are aggressive. You better be moving the other way from them.

They all den up and hibernate for the winter. In the fall or spring you might see one out on a rock during the day sunning itself, but they are pretty lethargic in those scenarios.

 

[_Windrider_]

Sidewinders and Western Diamondbacks will generally run from you. Mojave's are aggressive. You better be moving the other way from them.

True but the Mohave greens didn’t make their way that deep into the Owens valley. Now if I was down in tahachapie or ridgecrest yeah man. Look out.

 

[mdmp5]

Yeah just look down when u r walking, maggot is right they won’t strike unless they feel threatened. Rule of thumb is striking distance is 2/3 of length. FWIW, antivenin regiments can cost in excess of 100k.

Yeah and that’s provided the hospital has it available

 

[308Gunner]

In West Texas they are a daily occurrence, the problem out here is they don’t rattle anymore. Some say it’s because of the wild hogs I don’t know but I do know that 20 years ago they would let you know they were around whenever you got anywhere close

 

[RNWRKNP]

Quite a few bull snakes around lumber packages or trenching. October 8th is still pretty hot here when quail season kicks off and that’s when I have seen the diamondbacks. 4 in 20 years of the desert with the largest in the winter and from October on I’m in the desert. Went to set down my back pack for a coyote call and between my legs was a 4 footer perfectly concealed in the rocks. Thanked the maker that it was cold that day....

As mentioned previously, night is when you should be concerned and with the time you spend out there some gators would be a prudent purchase. If night vision was legal to hunt with in AZ I’d be out there at night myself?

 

[Snipe260]

In West Texas they are a daily occurrence, the problem out here is they don’t rattle anymore. Some say it’s because of the wild hogs I don’t know but I do know that 20 years ago they would let you know they were around whenever you got anywhere close

Me and my dad was quail hunting in and around sweetwatwr and happened up on a huge den! Prob one hundred or so Sunning In mid afternoon! They were piled on top of one another! Made me nervous rest of my hunt for sure!

 

[mdmp5]

Me and my dad was quail hunting in and around sweetwatwr and happened up on a huge den! Prob one hundred or so Sunning In mid afternoon! They were piled on top of one another! Made me nervous rest of my hunt for sure!

Should have sprayed them with gasoline and lit it on fire like in Raiders

 

[Supersubes]

Like Skookum said, usually not out in the daytime. I look for the dang things and don’t find them much. If there’s an abnormally cold day out( and they haven’t gone to den yet), you can get a situation like RNWRKNP describes. Lethargic as hell!

And since nobody has posted one yet, this was at the end of my driveway a couple nights ago.

 

[Huskydriver]

I only run into them in Utah early in the am and at dusk. I have run into 3 this season so far in an area up north I have never seen them honestly as well. Usually just great basin rattlers so they are smaller than the Diamondbacks or Mojaves you can run into down in st george but be smart about them regardless... most antivenom is 20k a vial without insurance I hear

 

[Trapshooter12]

40 years ago in Northeastern Nevada my cousin and i ran across three in about a five mile stretch.

Later on in life i moved just east of Reno and i ran across about 20 of them in about 30 years.

Seven years ago moved back to Northeastern Nevada i have only ran across one.
My hearing is shot to shit so i can't hear them and i don't go looking for them.

The only time i actually look for them is when i am calling Coyotes in warm weather. I obviously don't want to sit on one.

 

[TheBigCountry]

I must have all the bad luck with them damn things because when I was there around this time last year (BrianHead fire) I just about stepped on one trying to find a spot to piss in the sage brush, and then when I was sitting on lookout the guy I was with advised me to very slowly get up as one was within arms reach of me, just laying there.

Not sure if all the fire and human activity had them out but seems like everyone in my crew saw at least one.

 

[bigdaddydmd]

I'm either real lucky or blind as hell. Five years in AZ and have yet to see one. Out in the washes 4 wheeling, hunting, and in the desert hanging steel and shooting. These are all daytime activities so I am sure that has a big part of not seeing a rattler. My shooting partner had the shit scared out of him by a snake. I was standing spotting and he was in the prone in the morning. A big ass snake came out from under a rock nearby, slithered right up to him near his feet, and I noticed it when I came off the spotter. Damn did he move fast when I said snake at your feet. That snake didn't seem too perturbed and kept on moving. After looking at it close it had no rattle and was just a nice fat 4' bull snake. I suspect the concussion from the shooting annoyed him and he wanted to find a new daytime hidey hole.

 

[hertz654]

my experience in SD; about once a year, usually in October, I come across a rattlesnake (I think the air temperature is about right for them that time of year that they're out sunning themselves during the day). I spend a lot of time shooting prone in and around prairie dog towns and i'm surprised I have not come face-to-face with one yet.
My reverse psychology is to "try" and find one, then I never do.

 

[19Scout77]

I thought the answer would be something akin to “every time there is one hanging out next to the saltine!”

 

[SilentStalkr]

So they're there, but during the day they're in their hole (which this guy was) and unless I'm retarded and basically step ontop of one I should be fine?

I always look where I walk and this guy was off to the side a good bit.

Basically. I have seen them holed up in some rest areas before tho in which case they felt cornered and threatened everytime someone came in. Not too fun when you are running in somewhere to take a crap and open the stall to come across a couple of diamondbacks!!!

 

[Srikaleak]

Just curious but I've heard rattlesnakes were good eating. Is that true?

 

[Diver160651]

No sure this is on topic, but the last several years it seems the rattlers I have come across (mainly trail running or on my MTB), don’t Rattle. I can see the segments, but it seems in my area (near dence population) they may live longer if they don’t rattle— or maybe they’re just used to people?

Experiencing this has made me a bit more aware of watching my feet.

 

[Supersubes]

Just curious but I've heard rattlesnakes were good eating. Is that true?

They’re not very easy to eat due to the ribs, but the saying “it tastes like chicken” may very well have come from eating rattlesnake.


Thinking back, probably 90% of the rattlers I’ve come across have been in close proximity to civilization. No doubt due to the rodent population. My old shooting spot was in the desert east of Barstow Ca. Kind of a nice valley with a huge wash that tended to hold a fair amount of water. Lots of rodents, chipmunks, and lizards. In the 13 years I used it for long range(camping and day trips) I found one sidewinder. It was under a bush in our camp, not far from the fire pit. I tossed the remnants of the coffee pot towards that bush, not knowing it was there, and it made itself known.

 

[Dirty D]

Just curious but I've heard rattlesnakes were good eating. Is that true?

Yes, the meat is bony but tasty when fried properly.

 

[Deleted member 113831]

Just curious but I've heard rattlesnakes were good eating. Is that true?

I grew up eating rattlesnake, though only during the annual rattlesnake derby's we had near my home town every year.

To be more specific, it tastes like frog legs. It is a stringy white lean meat, and is usually served deep fried because there is no fat on it.

 

[Maggot]

On my ranch i had made a big pile of brush to burn. Touched it off one morning and stood around kicking the pieces toward the center. All of a sudden a big Western Diamond back slithers out with his skin just smoking and pretty well burnt. A shovel to the head cured his pain.

 

[Back40precision]

I end up killing a couple dozen a year in my yard, they can have the whole desert, just stay away from my house and shop.

 

[powdahound76]

Yeah just look down when u r walking, maggot is right they won’t strike unless they feel threatened. Rule of thumb is striking distance is 2/3 of length. FWIW, antivenin regiments can cost in excess of 100k.

Its about 12k a bottle and I have not seen someone get less than 8-10, more for a good serious bite or by a younger snake.
Personally, if I was in that heavy of country, I would wear snake boots.
I bet the hospital has it, but you have to get there.
We had a guy trail running within visible distance of the hospital on a hill that is an open spqce park (green mountain for you CO guys) who almost died despite calling 911 right after the bite due to being hard for the FD guys to find. Time was short so he got a 2 min chopper ride vs a 45-60 min carry out. Would died without the chopper.

Good luck German

 

[EddieNFL]

The thing about snakes...for everyone you see, there's a googolplex you don't.

 

[Redmanss]

I've come across a couple in Sanpete County, Utah where I'm originally from, didn't get down south too much so can't speak of there. The sheep herders would keep them down pretty well, my family had llamas with their sheep and they would trample the fuck out of a rattler if they saw one, only a few a year on their 200ac piece, but we kept the food for them down pretty well too.

In Cali training at 29 Palms, we would kill one a day in the desert during the heat of the summer day, never a one when I went in the winter. They would come for our poncho shelters, had several close calls. Still though, never seen anywhere have near the amount of venomous snakes in the US than south Florida, even had issues in the suburbs all the time. I'll take the desert where you can see them any time over Florida.

 

[79steeler]

Up around Cottonwood Arizona myself and two of my shooting buddies were out in his Razor and we stopped for a cold one and I hopped off this little rock ledge and there were 3 of them just below the ledge. Scared the hell out of us. They were spaced about two feet apart.

 

[EddieNFL]

Rattlesnake Rodeo

 

[j-huskey]

Ain't western, but, its watching yall...

 

[MtnCreek]

^ Timber? That's what we have here.

 

[j-huskey]

Timber, large, danger close..... was checking pig trap, was going under door, and critter pops up, and looks at me.
Corn in pig trap attracts rodents, rodents make for snake smorgasbord. Snakes come eat. Have to watch traps real close. In three years, had 5 occasions to meet rattlers in the traps. That was the closest. A bit too close.
Killed 53 off the place three years back. 31 two years back, 18 last year. 9 so far in 2018. 3/4 of them didnt rattle.

 

[Waorani]

 

[Maggot]

Timber, large, danger close..... was checking pig trap, was going under door, and critter pops up, and looks at me.
Corn in pig trap attracts rodents, rodents make for snake smorgasbord. Snakes come eat. Have to watch traps real close. In three years, had 5 occasions to meet rattlers in the traps. That was the closest. A bit too close.
Killed 53 off the place three years back. 31 two years back, 18 last year. 9 so far in 2018. 3/4 of them didnt rattle.

As someone mentioned above perhaps they are adapting to all the feral hogs. Hogs will stomp a rattler then eat his ass (and the rest of him) LOL, not sure which is worse, hogs or snakes.

 

[Slowfire]

Dam Snipe! If I was to see that many rattlers at one time I don’t think I would ever get out of the house again!! Sshhiiitt.

 

[Greg Langelius *]

Little more than 2 years in SE AZ. Only one's I've seen yet were Mojaves, dead on the road. I hear about others, but haven't seen any with my own eyes.

Back East, used to hike the Appalachian a bunch, encountered some Timbers and Eastern Diamonds.

It was more about how you acted than about how many there were. If you crept about all silent like, you surprised a lot more of them. Surprised snakes are not your friend. If you tramped around and talked back and forth, A) you noticed them less, and B) they had already hightailed it out of your way.

Once, in '75, I was running along a trail and topped a rise. There was a big, something, and I had no time do anything but keep on going and leap (by God, what a leap) right over it and keep going. That was fun. Oh, yeah. Right...

Greg

 

[Icallem]

My son found this on the job he is working in Marfa Texas. This is the second one found on this job, this year.